Linda R. Monk - Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide … The Text: Monk, Linda R. Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution Exemplar Text Vocabulary From “The

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Linda R. Monk - Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution

- Grade 8

Originally published in Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution. New York:

Hyperion, 2003.

Learning Objective: The goal of this one to two day exemplar is to give students the opportunity to

observe the dynamic nature of the Constitution through the close reading and writing habits they‟ve been

practicing. By reading and rereading the passage closely, and focusing their reading through a series of

questions and discussion about the text, students will explore the questions Monk raises and perhaps even pursue additional avenues of inquiry. When combined with writing about the passage, not only will

students form a deeper appreciation of Monk‟s argument and the value of struggling with complex text,

but of the Preamble of the Constitution itself.

Reading Task: Rereading is deliberately built into the instructional unit. Students

will silently read the passage in question on a given day—first independently and then following along with the text as the teacher and/or skillful students read aloud.

Depending on the difficulties of a given text and the teacher‟s knowledge of the

fluency abilities of students, the order of the student silent read and the teacher

reading aloud with students following might be reversed. What is important is to allow all students to interact with challenging text on their own as frequently and

independently as possible. Students will then reread specific passages in response to a

set of concise, text-dependent questions that compel them to examine the meaning and structure of Monk‟s argument. Therefore, rereading is deliberately built into the

instructional unit.

Vocabulary Task: Most of the meanings of words in this selection can be discovered

from careful reading of the context in which they appear. Where it is judged this is

not possible, underlined words are defined briefly for students in a separate column

whenever the original text is reproduced. At times, this is all the support these words need. At other times, particularly with abstract words, teachers will need to spend

more time explaining and discussing these words. Teachers can use discussions to

model and reinforce how to learn vocabulary from contextual clues. Students must be held accountable for engaging in this practice. There is a longer discussion of this in

the “Vocabulary” section. In addition, for subsequent readings, high value academic

(„tier two‟ words) have been bolded to draw attention to them. Given how crucial

vocabulary knowledge is to students‟ academic and career success, it is essential that these high value words be discussed and lingered over during the instructional

sequence.

Discussion Task: Students will discuss the passage in depth with their teacher and

their classmates, performing activities that result in a close reading of Monk‟s text.

The goal is to foster student confidence when encountering complex text and to reinforce the skills they have acquired regarding how to build and extend their

understanding of a text. A general principle is to always reread the portion of text

that provides evidence for the question under discussion. This gives students another

encounter with the text, reinforces the use of text evidence, and helps develop fluency.

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Writing Task: Students will paraphrase Thurgood Marshall‟s quote and then write an

explanation of Monk‟s text in response to one of three prompts. Teachers might afford students the opportunity to rewrite their explanation or revise their in-class paraphrase

after participating in classroom discussion, allowing them to refashion both their

understanding of the text and their expression of that understanding.

Text Selection: This selection, taken from Appendix B of the CCSS, while brief, allows for an in-depth

investigation into three of the most highly charged words in the Constitution and offers a capsule history

of the dramatic and sweeping changes to how the phrase “We the People” has been interpreted over the years. Rich both in meaning and vocabulary, not only does the excerpt from Monk‟s text validate the

close reading approach, but it also presents a focused and concise opportunity that students in both ELA

and history classrooms will find engaging.

Outline of Lesson Plan: This lesson can be delivered in one or two days of instruction and

reflection on the part of students and their teacher, with the possibility of adding additional days

of instruction (see Appendix A) or an additional day devoted to peer review and revision of the culminating writing assignment.

Standards Covered: The following CCS standards are the focus of this exemplar: RI.6-8.1-3, 5, & 6;

W.6-8.2, 4 & 9.

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The Text: Monk, Linda R. Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the

Constitution

Exemplar Text Vocabulary

From “The Preamble: We the People” The first three words of the Constitution are the most important. They clearly

state that the people—not the king, not the legislature, not the courts—are the true rulers in American government. This principle is known as popular

sovereignty.

But who are “We the People”? This question troubled the nation for centuries. As Lucy Stone, one of America‟s first advocates for women‟s rights, asked in 1853,

“„We the People‟? Which „We the People‟? The women were not included.”

Neither were white males who did not own property, American Indians, or

African Americans—slave or free. Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American on the Supreme Court, described the limitation:

for a sense of the evolving nature of the constitution, we need look

no further than the first three words of the document‟s preamble: „we the people.‟ when the founding fathers used this phrase in

1787, they did not have in mind the majority of America‟s citizens

. . . the men who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 could not... have

imagined, nor would they have accepted, that the document they were drafting would one day be construed by a Supreme Court to

which had been appointed a woman and the descendant of an

African slave. Through the Amendment process, more and more Americans were eventually

included in the Constitution‟s definition of “We the People.” After the Civil War,

the Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment gave African Americans citizenship, and the Fifteenth Amendment gave black men

the vote. In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote

nationwide, and in 1971, the Twenty-sixth Amendment extended suffrage to

eighteen-year-olds.

Elected body that creates

laws

interpreted

formal change to a legal

contract

membership in a state or

nation with rights, privileges,

and duties

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Day One: Instructional Exemplar for Monk‟s Words We Live By

Summary of Activities 1. Teacher introduces the day‟s passage with minimal commentary and students read it

independently

2. Teacher then reads the passage out loud to the class and students follow along in the text

3. Teacher asks the class a small set of guiding questions and tasks about the passage in question

4. Teacher assigns homework that asks students to write an analysis of Monk‟s passage

Text under Discussion Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For

Students

The first three words of the Constitution are the most important. They

clearly state that the people—not the king, not the legislature, not the

courts—are the true rulers in American government. This principle is

known as popular sovereignty.

But who are “We the People”? This question troubled the nation for

centuries. As Lucy Stone, one of America‟s first advocates for

women‟s rights, asked in 1853, “„We the People‟? Which „We the

People‟? The women were not included.” Neither were white males

who did not own property, American Indians, or African Americans—

slave or free. Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American

on the Supreme Court, described the limitation:

for a sense of the evolving nature of the constitution, we need

look no further than the first three words of the document‟s

preamble: „we the people.‟ when the founding fathers used

this phrase in 1787, they did not have in mind the majority of

America‟s citizens . . . the men who gathered in Philadelphia

in 1787 could not... have imagined, nor would they have

accepted, that the document they were drafting would one day

be construed by a Supreme Court to which had been appointed

a woman and the descendant of an African slave.

Through the Amendment process, more and more Americans were

eventually included in the Constitution‟s definition of “We the

People.” After the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment ended

slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment gave African Americans

citizenship, and the Fifteenth Amendment gave black men the vote. In

1920, the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote

nationwide, and in 1971, the Twenty-sixth Amendment extended

suffrage to eighteen-year-olds.

Elected body

that creates

laws

interpreted

formal change

to a legal

contract

membership in

a state or

nation with

rights,

privileges, and

duties

1. Introduce the text and students read

independently

Other than giving the brief definitions offered to

words students would likely not be able to define

from context (underlined in the text), avoid

giving any background context or instructional

guidance at the outset of the lesson while

students are reading the text silently. This close

reading approach forces students to rely

exclusively on the text instead of privileging

background knowledge and levels the playing

field for all students as they seek to comprehend

Monk‟s argument. It is critical to cultivating

independence and creating a culture of close

reading that students initially grapple with rich

texts like Monk‟s passage without the aid of

prefatory material, extensive notes, or even

teacher explanations.

2. Read the passage out loud as students

follow along

Asking students to listen to Words We Live By

exposes students a second time to the content

and structure of her argument before they begin

their own close reading of the text. Speaking

clearly and carefully will allow students to

follow the shape of Monk‟s argument, and

reading out loud with students following along

improves fluency while offering all students

access to this complex text. Accurate and

skillful modeling of the reading provides

students who may be dysfluent with accurate

pronunciations and syntactic patterns of English.

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Text under Discussion Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For Students

The first three words of the Constitution are

the most important. They clearly state that the

people—not the king, not the legislature, not

the courts—are the true rulers in American

government. This principle is known as

popular sovereignty.

But who are “We the People”? This question

troubled the nation for centuries. As Lucy

Stone, one of America‟s first advocates for

women‟s rights, asked in 1853, “„We the

People‟? Which „We the People‟? The women

were not included.” Neither were white males

who did not own property, American Indians,

or African Americans—slave or free.

Elected

body that

creates

laws

3. Ask the class to answer a small set of text-dependent guided

questions and perform targeted tasks about the passage, with

answers in the form of notes, annotations to the text, or more

formal responses as appropriate.

As students move through these questions, and reread Monk‟s

text, be sure to check for and reinforce their understanding of

academic vocabulary in the corresponding text (which will be

boldfaced the first time it appears in the text). At times, the

questions may focused on academic vocabulary.

(Q1) What is (and isn‟t) the meaning of “popular sovereignty”?

Why does Monk claim that this is the form of government in

America?

These are fairly straightforward questions for students to answer

but must be grasped to understand the remainder of Monk‟s

analysis. The second question requires students to infer that the

first three words of the Constitution refer to the doctrine of

popular sovereignty, and perceptive students will be able to

connect the title of the chapter and/or the opening of the second

paragraph to the Constitution‟s Preamble.

(Q2) Is Lucy Stone confused when she asks “Which „We the

People‟?” Why does Monk say this question has “troubled the

nation”?

Students need to be able to discern that Stone is not confused but

rather critical of the seemingly all-embracing phrase “We the

People” when looked at in the light of America‟s history. It is

this history that Monk says is “troubled”. Then it is revealed

that the “true rulers in American Government” did not include

women, Native Americans, free blacks, enslaved African-

Americans, or even white males who did not own property.

Students should be able to deduce that those with the vote were

primarily white men with property.

N.B. Assuming this is a part of a unit on government/civics,

students should be familiar with terms like Constitution,

Supreme Court, and Preamble. Given their importance,

teachers should still “check-in” with students and briefly review

to help solidify students‟ grasp of these concepts. If it is not, then

this reading will serve as a solid introduction to these essential

words.

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Text under Discussion Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For Students

Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African

American on the Supreme Court, described the

limitation:

for a sense of the evolving nature of the

constitution, we need look no further than the

first three words of the document‟s preamble:

„we the people.‟ when the founding fathers

used this phrase in 1787, they did not have in

mind the majority of America‟s citizens . . .

the men who gathered in Philadelphia in

1787 could not... have imagined, nor would

they have accepted, that the document they

were drafting would one day be construed by

a Supreme Court to which had been

appointed a woman and the descendant of an

African slave.

interpreted

(Q3) What does the phrase “founding fathers” mean?

Why does Marshall think the founding fathers could not

have imagined a female or black Supreme Court Justice?

This question is a good way to summarize the argument

so far as answering it will drive students back to what was

read and discussed earlier. The correct answer relies on

making the connection between the lack of political rights

granted to women and blacks by the founders—those that

wrote the Constitution—and recognizing Marshall‟s point

that at the time he was writing both a female and the

descendant of a slave were members of the Supreme

Court—the judicial body that holds the final interpretation

of the Constitution.

Having discussed the meaning of Marshall‟s quote, ask

students to put his ideas into their own words in a brief

two to three sentence paraphrase.

Insisting that students paraphrase Marshall at this point

will solidify their understanding of Monk‟s analysis as

well as test their ability to communicate that

understanding fluently in writing. Teachers should

circulate and perform “over the shoulder” conferences

with students to check comprehension and offer

commentary that could lead to on the spot revision of their

“translation” of Marshall‟s ideas.

Sidebar: Images of the Supreme Court over the last

century

If students are particularly intrigued by the composition of

the Supreme Court, Appendix B includes a series of

images of the justices every forty years starting in 1890,

vividly illustrating the demographic changes the court has

undergone.

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Time Text of “The Preamble: We the People” Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For Students 10 M

inu

tes

Through the Amendment process, more and more

Americans were eventually included in the

Constitution‟s definition of “We the People.” After

the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment ended

slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment gave African

Americans citizenship, and the Fifteenth Amendment

gave black men the vote. In 1920, the Nineteenth

Amendment gave women the right to vote

nationwide, and in 1971, the Twenty-sixth

Amendment extended suffrage to eighteen-year-olds.

formal

change to a

legal

contract

membership

in a state or

nation with

rights,

privileges,

and duties

(Q4) What evidence is there in this paragraph regarding

Marshall‟s claim about the “evolving nature of the

constitution”?

This question requires students to methodically cite

evidence to completely answer the question and grasp

that the amendment process changed the meaning of

who was included in “the people.”

Sidebar: The Goals of the Constitution

If students are intrigued, teachers can share with

students the text of the Preamble and ask them to

identify what the founding fathers were trying to

accomplish in forming a Constitutional government

through popular sovereignty:

Text of the Preamble We the People of the United States, in Order to form a

more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic

Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote

the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty

to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish

this Constitution for the United States of America.

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Time Explanatory Writing Assignment: Directions for Teachers and Students H

om

ewo

rk

For homework write a paragraph length explanation that answers one of the following prompts. Provide evidence from the text in your

response to justify your analysis:

Explain how the notion of who “the people” were has changed over time in America.

How does Thurgood Marshall‟s presence on the Supreme Court illustrate the evolution of the constitution?

Analyze Monk‟s explanation of the modifications that have been made to the Constitution.

Extension Activity for Day Two: During the next class period, the teacher could have students peer review or revise the explanatory writing

pieces they completed for homework.

Explanatory Writing Assignment: Guidance for Teachers

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Explanatory Writing Assignment: Guidance for Teachers

Teachers might wish to consider the following guidance with regards to evaluating the following prompts:

Explain how Amendments 13, 14, 15, and 19 have changed the notion of who “the people” were over time in America.

Teachers should look for a logical explanation of the evolution of who has been considered a “person” in the eyes of America over time.

The paragraph could be organized chronologically, noting that at the nation‟s founding the creators of the constitution would not “have in

mind the majority of America‟s citizens” and primarily saw persons as white males with property. Students should then observe that over

time, however, the notion of “We the People” has grown to include African Americans (through the 13th

, 14th, and 15

th Amendment), as

well as women with the Nineteenth Amendment. They might invoke Thurgood Marshall‟s observation that these two groups, previously

discriminated against, now have representatives on the Supreme Court—the final arbiter of the Constitution‟s “We the People.” Students

could end by noting the extension of the franchise to 18 year olds and perhaps point out that the final status of one group mentioned early on remains unexplained—Native Americans.

How does Thurgood Marshall‟s presence on the Supreme Court illustrate the evolution of the constitution?

Teachers should look for student essays that address the question asked, i.e. focus on why the fact that Thurgood Marshall is on the

Supreme Court reflects the notion of an evolving constitution. Students might start by explaining that Marshall was “the first African

American on the Supreme Court” and note that at the founding of America “We the People” did not recognize the status of African

Americans “slave or free.” They might go on to explain what is meant by an evolving constitution, citing the fact that “[t]hrough the

amendment process” groups that were earlier not included under the framework of popular sovereignty were now added (in the case of

African Americans, the 13th

, 14th, and 15

th amendments added to the constitution specifically addressed their status), paving the way for

Marshall‟s ascension to the court a century later. To round out their essay, they might integrate Marshall‟s ironic observation that “[t]he

men who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 could not... have imagined… that the document they were drafting would one day be construed

by a Supreme Court to which had been appointed … the descendant of an African slave.”

Analyze Monk‟s explanation of the modifications that have been made to the Constitution.

Students might begin their paragraph by observing that Monk begins her analysis noting the significance of the doctrine of popular

sovereignty and how that opens up the question of who “the people” are. Teachers should look for students then to consider the various

causal mechanisms for change to the Constitution, from the role of “advocates for women‟s rights” like Lucy Stone to the importance of

trailblazers like Thurgood Marshall, “the first African American on the Supreme Court.” But students should give special emphasis to “the

amendment process” and how through it “more and more Americans were eventually included in the Constitution‟s definition of „We the

People.‟” Students might round out their paragraphs by citing some of the changes to the constitution in the form of various amendments

(e.g. “the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote nationwide”).

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Appendix A: Additional Instructional Opportunities for

Monk‟s Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution

If teachers wish to add additional instructional time, they might consider having small groups of mixed

ability students or even individual students pursue one of these lines of investigation.

1. Although Marshall is right in claiming that the Founding Fathers did not imagine an African-

American or a woman serving on the court, they did envision possible changes to the Constitution

and created an amendment process to accommodate such changes. Indeed, right after the

Constitution was written, ten Amendments were passed, commonly referred to as the Bill of

Rights. Students could look into the reasons why the Constitution was altered so soon after it was

adopted or pick one of the Amendments in the Bill of Rights and research the history of that

particular amendment or a particular legal case connected with it. (e.g. Gideon v. Wainwright and

the Sixth Amendment).

2. The idea of a changing definition of “people” in Monk‟s text will intrigue middle school students.

They could examine the different “types” of people at the nation‟s founding (immigrants, Native

Americans, indentured servants, slaves, etc) and how they have been viewed within a

Constitutional framework. Specific historical events could be used to illuminate the treatment of

groups not protected by the constitution, from the Cherokee Removal to the Chinese Exclusion

Act to even the failure of the Equal Rights Amendment.

3. There are many times the Constitution is invoked on both sides of a debate about rights. To

reinforce the concept that the U.S. Constitution is a living document, students could investigate

an area of debate where the interpretation of an Amendment or amending the Constitution is

central to the argument and then debate it in class. Some possibilities are gun control, balancing

the federal budget, gay marriage, or even the legality of selling alcohol.

4. Students could select one of the amendments mentioned by Monk that expanded the conception

of who “the people” were and research it more in depth, examining the historical background, the

reasons for its adoption, and its effects both intended and otherwise.

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Appendix B: Images of the Justices of the Supreme Court

Fuller Court, 1890

Taft Court, 1930

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Berger Court, 1970

Roberts Court, 2010 This work was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation